A big earthquake happened near Alaska on Saturday night. The earthquake was approximate to be 7.2 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was so strong that it create a tsunami warning released. On Saturday, July 16, 2023, a 7.2 approximately earthquake hit off the Alaskan peninsula. The earthquake did generate minor tsunami waves, but they posed no threat to coastal areas.
The USGS previously thought that the earthquake was very strong but they later change their estimate. The earthquake happened at 10:48 pm on Saturday. The earthquake was about 55 miles southwest of the town of Sand Point. The tsunami warning has been raised, so there is no longer worried about tsunamis. People living in these areas can start their normal lives.
The Pacific plate is moving towards the North American plate, and this movement causes stress to build up along the fault line. When the stress is released, it causes an earthquake. These waves were only seen in Sand Point and King Cove, which are small towns on the Alaskan peninsula.
A tsunami waves have already passed and there is no longer any danger. However, some areas may still see small changes in sea level. Alaska is a place where earthquakes happen a lot. This place is called the Pacific Ring of Fire. Alaska is in a place where the Earth's plates are moving and rubbing against each other. This movement can cause earthquakes.
Alaska was hit by a colossal earthquake in 1964. A lot of damage in Anchorage, Alaska because of the earthquake. The tsunami caused a lot of damage in these areas. It was a major harm that had significance on Alaska and the surrounding areas. The earthquake and tsunami were very deadly. More than 250 people died in the tsunami which is a great loss.